Confidence and Caretakers: Some Less‐Obvious Implications of the Fixed‐Term Parliaments Act

This article explores the 2011 Fixed‐term Parliaments Act's less‐obvious implications. First, it discusses why Theresa May found calling the 2017 election so straightforward, and notes what this implies for how FTPA works. Second, it looks at executive–legislative relations. FTPA removed the government's ability to designate controversial parliamentary votes as matters of confidence, and introduced a fourteen‐day cushion between a no‐confidence vote and Parliament's dissolution. In the process, it shifted the balance of power from ministers to backbenchers, to an extent potentially greater than most observers recognise. Third, it considers the more outlandish possibilities raised by FTPA's imposition of a fourteen‐day waiting period after a government's defeat on a no‐confidence motion before a new election can be called. It is possible, for example, for rebel MPs from the governing party to use the no‐confidence procedure to force concessions from the cabinet. Finally, it assesses FTPA's long‐term survival prospects, and what repeal would involve.     

Towards parliamentarisation of foreign and security policy?

Abstract

It is customary to argue that foreign policy is very much dominated by the executive, with parliaments wielding limited influence. However, with the exception of the US Congress, legislative?executive relations in the realm of foreign and security policy have attracted remarkably little scholarly attention. Drawing on a principal?agent framework, this collection scrutinises the conventional wisdom of ‘executive autonomy’ in foreign affairs, indicating that even though parliaments have arguably become more involved in foreign and security policy over time, any notions of parliamentarisation need to be treated with caution. While expectations of consensus in the name of the national interest continue to play an important role in foreign policy decision-making, the papers highlight the role of party-political contestation structuring parliamentary debates and votes in this increasingly politicised issue area. This introductory paper introduces the analytical framework and hypotheses guiding the contributions in this collection, summarises their main findings and suggests avenues for future research.     

Prime ministers and the electoral cost of using the confidence vote in legislative bargaining: evidence from France

Do prime ministers pay an electoral penalty for using procedural force to pass laws? Influential theories of parliamentary governance and legislative bargaining assume that the use of the confidence vote procedure – parliamentary governments’ most powerful legislative weapon – entails an electoral cost, but evidence on this important claim has been scarce. This article provides the first estimates of how prime ministers’ public approval responds to their use of the confidence vote. Analysing time series data from France 1979–2008, it is found that prime ministers experience a considerable drop in approval after their use of the confidence vote that is not accounted for by standard economic and political covariates. The effect size is similar to a 1 per cent decline in economic growth. The findings help explain French prime ministers’ selective use of the confidence vote procedure. They also suggest that political costs constrain the bargaining power conferred by the confidence vote.     

试论卢梭的立法思想

法律思想在卢梭的整个思想中占有举足轻重的地位,而立法理论又是其中最为重要的组成部分。卢梭认为,法律是公意的体现,立法是为了实现正义,而立法是来自于人民的非凡人物,他们制定法律时应遵循自由与平等的原则。     

论我国中小企业存在的问题及立法对策

本文针对中小企业立法大大滞后于中小企业发展的实际情况,借鉴外国立法的经验,提出制定专门调整中小企业的法律即《中小企业促进法》的立法建议。     

论巨额财产来源不明罪立法正当性的缺失

巨额财产来源不明罪自设立以来一直存在较大争议 ,它在刑罚理念、程序正义及司法实践等方面都存在着立法正当性缺失的问题。以拒不申报、虚假申报财产罪替代巨额财产来源不明罪应是比较理性和合理的救济方式     

21世纪中国民法之展望——海峡两岸学术研讨会综述

在我国民法典的编纂中,无论是民法典的价值判断层面还是其立法技术层面,都还存在着众多亟待澄清的问题,近期关于物权立法的争论充分表明了这一点."21世纪中国民法之展望--海峡两岸学术研讨会"以民法典的立法体例与精神内涵、民法典各编的制度构造为主题,对民法典的编纂及民法研究中的热点问题进行了研讨.     

贪污贿赂犯罪数额的确定

近年来查办贪污贿赂犯罪案件工作中存在起刑点标准不一,定罪数额标准越提越高,犯罪数额对量刑无足轻重,以致影响国家刑事法律在对贪污贿赂犯罪案件中的统一正确实施,影响司法公正的现象.通过剖析立法中存在的缺陷及其表现形式,提出了"应以当地国家工作人员年度平均工资为参数,以动态表述的方式在立法上确定贪污受贿犯罪数额"的观点.     

基因隐私权的法学思考

由于基因科学迅速发展以及基因技术的广泛使用,对个人基因信息的法律保护问题日显突出.从民法上的隐私权出发,提出基因隐私权的概念,并继而探讨基因隐私权与其他权利,尤其是基因知情权的冲突.通过比较美国与我国对基因隐私权的法律保护,提出了对基因隐私权进行系统法律保护的立法建议.     

区域性服务贸易规则立法模式评析

区域经济一体化勃兴,服务贸易异军突起,区域性服务贸易规则作为当今国际贸易两个发展维度的交叉与契合点,将成为国际经济法学界研究的焦点问题之一.本文通过评析几个主要的区域一体化协定关于服务贸易的立法模式,以期对我国参与区域性服务贸易规则的制定提供参考.